Specialty Areas
I’m committed to providing safe, affirming, and unbiased therapy to all identities and bodies. If you are polyamorous, feminist, fat, into kink, or in the LGBTQIA+ community, I want you in particular to know that I am an open and nonjudgmental therapist. Everyone deserves access to quality care.
Anxiety, Depression, Out of Control Emotions
People aren’t born knowing what to do when we experience overwhelming, uncomfortable emotions. We learn through observation of others or trial and error, and we occasionally develop unhealthy and destructive ways of making ourselves feel better. Not knowing what to do when we have strong emotions often leads to more painful experiences. It can put strain on relationships, negatively impact how we think of and treat ourselves, and fuel behavior that in turn fuels more unpleasant emotions. Every person experiences emotions differently - some seem to be more sensitive, while others may feel entirely out of touch with their emotions and both circumstances can be equally painful and limiting. Some people land on what seems the opposite end of the spectrum and struggle to feel any emotion at all; the numbness feels like a bog, slowly pulling us under and hindering our movement.
Fortunately, it’s possible to learn new ways to navigate our emotions. This may include learning to better identify the emotions we feel, learning to keep our emotions from dictating our behavior, and learning to decrease the intensity of our emotions. Mindfulness plays a central role in how I approach emotion management, though its inclusion is secular in nature. You are more than the emotions you feel and the thoughts that you have!
Chronic Illness
I am a therapist with firsthand experience of the ups and downs (and downs and downs and downs) of chronic illness and pain. I know what it is to have to give up dreams, rearrange your life, be victimized by the medical system, lose relationships - all because of chronic illness. I know what it is to have to rebuild your life from the ground up. Chronic pain can feel like it zaps you of all energy and desire, robs you of your future, and isolates you from the world around you. Worse yet, the connection of our mind and body means that often our physical symptoms have significant negative impacts on our mental health as well. It becomes a feedback loop that feels like razor wire, restricting us from even ourselves.
I want to help you find joy and meaning despite your chronic illness. I can help you decrease the emotional distress associated with your symptoms. Allow me to help you navigate your downs and downs and downs and downs.
Relationship/Couples Therapy
“Relationships take work” said almost every couples therapist, life coach or relationships expert ever. But how do we know what type of work to put in to change or improve things? Often it can feel like we’re working so very hard only to spin our wheels without any meaningful movement. It can be incredibly painful to be in a relationship that has been fulfilling and to know it can be fulfilling again when you feel stuck in where you are now. And intimate relationships don’t come with a road map or guide to get you from where you are to where you want to be. Finding any hope or your own path forward is difficult when it takes everything you have just to get through each day.
As a therapist who works with intimate partners, my goals are to help you communicate effectively, be heard in your relationship and increase overall intimacy. All relationships are complex and often go through significant changes that can be tough to know how to navigate. Intimate relationships are not exempt from this and often come with additional complexities and struggles. My work assists you in thoroughly assessing your relationship, building friendship and intimacy, and improving communication. Fighting alone doesn’t mean you should end the relationship - learning how to fight in a healthy way can make all the difference.
The work I do with intimate partners is heavily influenced by the work and teachings of The Gottman Institute and The Institute for Relational Intimacy. I’m affirming of both monogamous and polyamorous relationships. Regardless of the structure, it’s important to know how to communicate clearly, negotiate boundaries and expectations, and live your values within the context of your relationship.
High Needs Dog Owners
Not all pet owners know the isolation and anxiety that it is to love a behaviorally or medically needy animal. It’s become popular, especially in Colorado, to bring your beloved dog with you wherever you can and it’s so painful to know that you may never be able to have those experiences with your pet. Or that your dog may never play with other dogs, meet strangers without fear, or easily attend vet appointments. Being a responsible and loving pet owner ends up taking far more effort and sacrifice than we ever anticipated and can have a significant impact on our own mental health. The effort to engage in what we think should be normal, easy activities and often the financial cost can increase depression and anxiety in our day-to-day lives.
I know exactly what it is to have to leave my dog at home, to have to medicate him due to fear, to not have dog friends or even human friends that can visit freely. I know how much it can take to manage behaviors and medical needs that limit your choices for both your life and the life of your pet. I am not a dog trainer and do not offer training services for your pet, but I can support you through the struggle, isolation, and frequent judgment that comes with loving a high needs pet.